Task team to fast track energy reductions

The Departments of Public Enterprises and Minerals and Energy, Eskom and municipalities have agreed to establish a national task team to urgently mobilise reductions required to reduce load shedding and achieving targeted savings.

The task team, comprising of chief executives of the largest municipalities and Eskom's Chief Executive Jacob Maroga, have agreed to work together to achieve rapid energy savings favouring opportunities for load reduction versus load shedding.

According to the Power Utility this week, an agreement to establish the task team was reached during a briefing and information sharing session recently set up by government to help manage the energy emergency.

The session was attended by, among others, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin, Minerals and Energy Minister Sonjica Buyelwa, Eskom and senior representatives from South Africa's largest local authorities including executive mayors.

Delegates were positive and showed commitment to achieving load reductions through a range of management techniques and innovative application of new technologies.

Eskom is positive that load reduction will be achieved over time through joint action with municipalities, a statement further said.

Earlier this month, Minister Sonjica announced that government was doing everything in its power to manage the energy crisis while striving towards reasonable levels of electricity supply in both the long and short term.

Addressing delegates at the 10th annual African Power and Electricity Congress at the Sandton Convention Centre recently, Ms Sonjica said government had instituted among others, a Power Conservation Programme (PCP) intended to manage power rationing as earlier proposed by the department.

"To address the current situation, a number of policies and strategies have been developed and approved to ensure that we approach the value chain of electricity supply in an integrated and sustainable manner," the minister said.

To date, Nuclear New Build Programme, Renewable Energy and Liquid fuels strategies have been developed and approved, Ms Sonjica said.

She said in order to speed up the implementation of the power conservation programme, her department was embarking on the development of necessary regulations under existing legislation in order to implement the department's legislative mandate.

"As a region and continent we will continue to call upon all our fellow governments and private sector to collaborate in managing the prosperity of the African continent.

"I am hopeful that through a collective effort that will be here for the next two days, solutions will be deliberated upon to ensure that through energy, we create a better life for all," said Ms Sonjica at the time. - BuaNews